With less than five weeks to go until the FIFA World Cup kicks off in North America, football fans are counting down the days to the announcement of squads for the 48 participating nations.
Whether it’s supporters of national teams or neutral football enthusiasts, they will be eager to find out which of their favourite players, the biggest international stars or surprise additions will make the final cut.
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The expanded 48-team tournament is being cohosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, who open the tournament against South Africa at Estadio Azteca on June 11.
What are the key dates for squad announcements before the World Cup?
May 11: Preliminary squad list
National teams must submit a preliminary list by May 11, with a minimum of 35 players and no more than 55 players, including four goalkeepers.
A maximum of 75 team officials, including the coach, team doctor and team manager, can be named in the provisional release list as well.
The longlist serves as the official pool of eligible players for the tournament, and FIFA requires that any replacement due to injury before the tournament must come from this list.
Injury has already ruled out several players from the tournament, such as Brazil’s Rodrygo and Eder Militao. Others, like Egyptian forward Mo Salah and Spanish prodigy Lamine Yamal, are undergoing rehabilitation for recent hamstring injuries but are expected to be in shape for the World Cup.
The provisional release list is intended for internal use only and will not be published by FIFA.
Changes may be made to the provisional release list in exceptional cases and up until the submission of the final release list, according to the global governing body.
May 25: Clubs to release players
Clubs are required to make their players available for national duty by May 25, whereby the “rest, mandatory release and preparation period” for the World Cup begins following the last official club match on May 24.
An exception is applicable to clubs whose players will be in the finals of the UEFA Champions League (May 30), UEFA Conference League (May 28), and the CONCACAF Champions Cup (May 30), subject to FIFA approval.
June 1: Final day of team submission
National teams have from May 25 to June 1 to submit their final lists of 23–26 players, three of whom must be goalkeepers.
FIFA states that a player or goalkeeper may only be replaced by a player from the provisional squad “in the event of a serious injury or illness no later than 24 hours before the team’s first match”.
The expanded roster, up from 23 players, has been in place since the Qatar 2022 World Cup to improve squad flexibility due to injuries and fatigue.
June 2: Squad announcement by FIFA
FIFA says it will announce the final lists for the 48 competing squads on June 2.
“National teams are permitted to announce their squads at any time; however, they are not considered official until confirmed by FIFA on June 2,” FIFA said.
What are the conditions for player replacement and squad changes?
Players named in the final squad submitted to FIFA can be replaced with a player from the provisional release list only in the event of serious injury or illness up until 24 hours before the kickoff of their team’s first match in the tournament.
Exceptions will not be allowed without approval from FIFA, based on the acceptance of the injured player’s medical assessment by FIFA’s medical team lead.
A goalkeeper in the final squad may be replaced by another goalkeeper from the provisional squad in the event of a serious injury or illness at any time during the tournament.
When will all World Cup teams arrive in the US, Canada and Mexico?
According to FIFA’s regulations for the World Cup, teams must arrive in their respective host country no later than five days before their first group match.
How many players will be on the World Cup roster?
Each nation can name 26 players in its squad list, making the total number of footballers entering the tournament a whopping 1,248.
What are the key tournament dates for the FIFA World Cup 2026?
The tournament will consist of one group-stage round and four knockout rounds before the final.
Unlike previous editions, the knockouts will begin with the round of 32, followed by the round of 16, the four quarterfinals and two semifinals.
The stage-wise breakdown of the tournament’s schedule is:
Group stage: June 11 June 27
Round of 32: June 28 to July 3
Round of 16: July 4–7
Quarterfinals: July 9-11
Semifinals: July 14-15
Bronze medal match: July 18
Final: July 19
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